Cider maker swamped by apples as orchard renaissance starts to bear fruit

Volunteers are reviving a legacy of fruit trees in the UK that stretches back to the Romans, hugely increasing biodiversity - and drinks production

Every autumn, cider maker Hawkes asks Londoners to donate apples to its cidery under the railway arches in Bermondsey, just south of Tower Bridge. In normal times, people who drop off a box of russets or royals leave with a bottle of cider from last year's crop. But 2020 has not been a normal year.

Through a trial delivery scheme to continue the exchange during the pandemic, 12 tonnes of apples have arrived at Hawkes in the post.